Rotherham United loanee Jamal Baptiste and his lost year

A taste of the limelight came early for the young defender and, a month after his 18th birthday in late 2021, he walked out at packed London Stadium as part of Premier League West Ham's starting 11 against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.

His star was on the rise, he was a top prospect with his boyhood club, he was drawing comparisons with Rio Ferdinand.

The centre-half didn't know it at the time, but he would never play for the Hammers again.

He was struck down by an illness that physically debilitated him, went undiagnosed for months and led to more than a season on the sidelines.

Baptiste had contracted Guillan-Barré Syndrome, a rare disorder where the immune system attacks nerves and can lead to muscle weakness, difficulty with movement and even trouble breathing and speaking.

“That was tough,” he recalls. “I was out for a whole year, probably a little bit longer than that. I didn't get diagnosed until halfway through the season.

“It just came on throughout the summer. When I went back in pre-season, I just didn't feel right in myself. I don't really like running the most at the best of times, but when I came back ... running and stuff, I just didn't feel myself.

“I knew something was wrong. Over time, I got tests done and found out that I had that virus, didn't really see any light at the end of the tunnel, I didn't see that I was going to play football again. And even if I did, I didn't think it was going to be at the same level that I was at.”

He found a novel way to keep himself occupied.

“My grandma knits,” he says. “I was in my house quite a lot and I couldn't really do a lot of active things, but I wanted to learn something new. I ended up knitting a scarf.”

Now aged 21, the defender is kick-starting his career at League One Rotherham United after leaving Championship South Yorkshire neighbours Sheffield United in the summer on a season-long loan.

“I'm getting games under my belt, building experience, playing in a league that I haven't played in before,” he says. “It's a tough division.

“The manager has told me to just be myself. He knows the qualities I can bring to the team. He wants me to be aggressive out of possession and in possession.”

His departure from West Ham led to a spell in Manchester City's youth set-up before he joined the Blades on a full-time deal 11 months ago.

The London-born player is using the dark days of the past to fuel him for the present and future.

“Yeah, it definitely gives me extra motivation,” he says. “After I had my contract finished at West Ham, I did go to City in the end, but there was a period of time where I didn't have a club and I was thinking: ‘I don't know what I'm going to do.’

“I think that it just made me work harder. It'll make me work harder now, because I never want to be in that position again. To come out of that and start playing football again was one of my best moments.”

Baptiste lives in Sheffield, in the same apartment block as some of his Rotherham teammates, and will give everything to the cause during his time as a Miller before heading back across the Parkway hoping to add to his solitary Sheffield United appearance.

“I can see Bramall Lane from my home,“ he says. “That's where I want to get to at some point in my career. I'm here, but my goal is there at the end of the day.

“I get to stay in contact with people from the club. They're always checking up on me and speaking to me after my games, seeing how I'm doing.

“I made my Europa League debut in front of 60,000 fans. I always knew where I wanted to get to and it was good that I got a bit of a taste of it then when I was young.

“I wouldn't say that I was the most nervous, which is quite funny because of how many fans there were. I just acted like it was another day and luckily I did all right. It was just football, it's just what I do. It was second nature.

“This is good what I'm doing now, but I want to do better and I want to get to a higher level. That's the drive – knowing that I can get back there. It keeps me going, really. That's why I come in every day and work hard.”

His move to Rotherham has been smoothed by the presence of midfielder Joe Powell, whom he knows from their time together with the Hammers, while coach Richard Wood has taken him under his wing.

“Powelly's helped me quite a bit,” he says. “It's been quite easy coming into the club. Woody's obviously an ex centre-half, so he's been going through my games with me. He's helping me on what I need to improve on and highlighting what I've been doing well.”

He's here to play games – hopefully, lots of games.

“I want to show all the fans here, and everyone in general, what I'm capable of,” he says. “It's my first time playing regular men's football. I think I'm handling myself quite well and I'm enjoying it.”

However, if he were to find himself out of action again, a player who has come through true hardship at least has a hobby to fall back on.

“I haven't knitted in a while,” he grins. “But I've still got the stuff.”